Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson routinely tops yearly lists of highest paid actors, with some even naming him the highest paid actor ever in Hollywood. Do I think Johnson merits being the highest paid actor? (And please note I’m pronouncing it in my head with a Laurence Olivier flair as acTOR!) If we’re talking about acting as a craft/art form, then no, I do not. But I totally understand how he’s amassed the hefty paydays, and I enjoy the comedy and physical agility he brings on screen. What I enjoy about him most, though, is how consistently and genuinely he pays it forward. From donating seven figures to keep striking actors afloat, to surprising fans on a celeb tour bus in his LA neighborhood, to setting up UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo with a new, furnished house in Miami, Johnson is like a huge, jacked fairy godmother. Over the weekend Johnson took to Instagram to answer a fan’s question on the drawbacks to fame… he had none:
A lucky son of a b: “I have been a lucky son of a bitch to have been famous for a long time, and I realize that there are no drawbacks to fame because I remember how s— once was,” he added. “Back in the day, the alternative to fame [was] not being famous, and I couldn’t pay rent, I was struggling to figure out who I was, I was broke as f—. I try my best to keep all of that in the forefront of my mind.”
He lives like he’s ‘a day away’ from losing it all: “I never let that go,” he continued. “I always say, ‘I’m a day away from being evicted again’ so it keeps me hungry. So for me, there are no drawbacks to fame. I got a lot of celebrity friends who completely disagree with me, and that’s okay. We have had healthy discussions about fame. And that’s okay, having a difference of opinion. It invites dialogue. It invites discussion. But for me, there are no drawbacks.”
LOL, he misses the mall: “I miss going to the mall. I miss going to the stores. Just hopping in my car and going [to the] grocery store, drug store, the mall, wherever,” Johnson said. “All that has gone away years and years ago, so anytime I go, it’s a thing. Gotta call ahead, logistics, security.” Johnson also admitted that every now and then he does get the urge to go shopping by himself, but things eventually turn into a “zoo.”
Don’t chase fame: “I always tell people this. There’s young digital influencers out there, social media, entertainment, singers, athletes, all these young bloods who think, ‘Hey, I gotta chase fame, greatness equals fame, fame equals greatness.’ And I always share this with everybody I talk to,” Johnson added.
Chase greatness: “I learned over the years to not chase fame, and I share that with people today who are on the come up,” he continued. “Don’t chase fame. Chase being great at something. Chase greatness. Fame will come, or it won’t, but if you’re great at something, that’s enduring.” Johnson then shared a quote from legendary running back Walter Payton: “If you’re good at something, you will tell everyone. If you’re great, they’ll tell you.”
Ok, so at the beginning I felt like he was equating “fame” with “success.” To me, they’re very different animals. Success helps you pay the rent, success contributes to your sense of self. Fame is what’s making it hard for him to go grocery shopping (allegedly, though I love the image of him calling Ralphs for a security briefing, “I need bananas — cover aisle 10!”) I wholeheartedly agree with his comment on greatness, lofty as it sounds. Someone once said to me that pure concentration is the key to happiness. If you’re working towards greatness, you have to be fully concentrated on mastering each facet, each level. And I bet Johnson would concur that happiness is even greater than fame. Now someone treat that man to a normal, low-key visit to a mall, pronto!
Photos credit: SI/Avalon, Acero/Alter Photos/Avalon and via Instagram
He’s so rich he can probs shut down a mall to go walk around if he wants! All deserved. Glad he shares the wealth and good advice as well. Fame seems like the worst tbh but if he’s happy then good for him. Personally I’d want to be great and succeed rather than get fame. Success (in most definitions) gets u financial security but fame isn’t guaranteed financial security.
I like this (and I appreciate being able to see him share his thoughts rather than just reading his transcribed words. He’s a great story teller.
I think that this is a difficult question to answer without sounding ungrateful. Ultimately, the benefits of fame do greatly outweigh the negatives and I think famous people, like Johnson, are right to try to really underline this. I suspect that there are real drawbacks to fame as a dad, how he is able to participate in activities with his daughters, for example. I think people would understand that if he raised it, but I appreciate that he’s very aware of how lucky and privilleged he is by his fame.
I don’t always love his movies but I almost always enjoy him in them. He’s a great entertainer and he’s very charismatic.
His first comments weren’t about being famous, they were about being rich, or at least about being financially secure.
If he were famous or notorious without having his deep Rock pockets, I guarantee he’d see the “drawbacks” of fame more clearly.* You can’t have your security team take you on a Costco run if you’ve got no money to pay a security team.
I agree with his comments about working towards greatness vs seeking fame. But it could also be life changing in a good way if those same people he’s advising can also get into a stable sustainable financial position, if they aren’t already.
*or maybe feel more at liberty to talk about them without sounding like an ungrateful dolt
He’s definitely equating fame and wealth like they rise in equal amounts for everyone.
You can be mega famous and still be close to eviction (Tori Spelling).
I like Dwayne Johnson overall. He means well in a world where people who have his level of wealth are too often crap people.
“Huge, jacked fairy godmother” – an excellent description. I love this guy – he just seems so down to earth. Extra points for being such an awesome girl dad.
He is such an amazing human being! I watched the video People had posted and it made me cry. He’s such an inspiration in so many ways (and he’s hot as hell!!!)!
I liked what he said about people telling you if you’re great at something. I am told that I am a great lawyer by my business partners and other lawyers. But sometimes that imposter syndrome flares up and Ithink, How did I end up being great at my job because that’s kind of a fluke? Or How did I con all these people into thinking that I am fantastic at this? I somehow think The Rock does not struggle with these doubts.
I also liked what he said about staying hungry like it could all go away tomorrow. I grew up with financial difficulties and for the longest time I lived like I would be homeless if I lost my job tomorrow. I have relaxed quite a bit, but I recently told a friend that I don’t think I will ever buy a LV or Gucci purse even though a lot of my colleagues own them because I will always have a “that’s just too much money to spend on a bag” mentality because of my my upbringing.
I like that he differentiates between something being different (he can’t just head to the grocery store anymore) and something being a downside. It’s refreshing for a celebrity to say that all of the privilege they have outweighs changes they’ve had to make in how they live.
He’s also super charming in movies and by all accounts is a lovely human in real life.
@kirsten, I agree. Also, the rock tends to be honest with his fans. So many celebs sound disingenuous with their pr statements about fame because it’s a lie. He’s not boasting or gloating, he’s not saying it’s not important (the big lie from so many) , he’s telling it like it is.
I like what he’s saying here and I think it’s a good answer to the question. I also really like the greatness comment, so many people seem to just want to be famous and its making the world a world a weird place. Having grown up (largely) pre-internet I struggle to get my head around it.
These comments also show why he’s so highly paid/making so much money with his work, it’s the relentless chasing coupled with being a really decent human being who hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be on the other side of things.
Yes!!!! The fame worship in this world is crazy, it’s like we think someone is super human just because they’re famous. But they’re still human. They still get up and put on their clothes in the morning and go for a workout and go for a coffee, work and everything else. It also seems like the world puts more weight on someone’s opinion because they’re famous, when they’re just a person like us, and just as capable of being fallible. Just because you’re famous, doesn’t mean you know anything more about politics or anything else than I do.
Visibility is his stock in trade. Some famous people can go to the mall simply because they’re not as recognisable. Of course he’s not that. I appreciate his honesty about it rather than denying that it’s a good thing.
Personally, if I could do over and fame was an option, I know I’d say no. I’d rather success and some anonymity because then I could go to the mall to blow my millions 🤣
I’m surprised so many buy his “super humble” personality he puts on display.
He’s done enough over recent years to show he’s a huge ego maniac and he’s flirted with right-wing politics.
https://www.indy100.com/news/the-rock-joe-rogan-backlash
He used Black Adam as a vanity project just so he could “fight” Superman (BA is a Shazam villain) and pissed off the higher ups at WB because he leaked confidential information to “prove” BA wasn’t a box office failure.
https://thedirect.com/article/dwayne-johnson-black-adam-profits-misleading
He’s had it written into his contracts that he can’t lose fights onscreen.
https://screenrant.com/dwayne-rock-johnson-actors-with-bizarre-contract-clauses/
He also can’t do any good deeds without boasting about them on social media.
I won’t even touch his aspirations to become president.
I never was a fan of his. I completely disliked the character he played in the wrestling roll, and disliked him even more as an actor. He’s just so full of himself. Thanks for sharing these links.